This is my latest armor effort. After partially assembling the kit I went to painting and the early weathering processes. Thus far after applying the base color and modulating it with three other shades I've done a pin wash and a dot filter.

Due to the black background, the color appears much lighter than when I'm working with it on my bench/

With pastel chalk and turpentine I've applied heavy dusting to the running gear and light dusting to the horizontal surfaces up top. I have streaked dust down the sides to try to complete the look of a vehicle that has been cruising across the Libyan Desert.

Once the upper return rollers dry into place, I'll give it a clear coat to lock the fragile dust in place.

Nice. Good contrast between upper and lower. Looks the ticket. Good job. If this vehicle were in a line, there would be dust build-up on the front side of everything. Much like a snow drift. Just sayin'.

Nice. Good contrast between upper and lower. Looks the ticket. Good job. If this vehicle were in a line, there would be dust build-up on the front side of everything. Much like a snow drift. Just sayin'.

Sincerely,

Mark

After some heavy discussions with the members of my club (AMMS Brisbane) which is an armor and figures SIG, I've followed the advice of the majority when it comes to weathering. The gist of what I've been told is that full realism, especially the kind that blots out details, takes a distant second to parts that are more interesting to look at through restrained weathering.

This an area that I've not ventured into yet. One of these days I'd like to give it a whirl after I'm done building shiny stuff or things that fly. So many opportunities to use all kinds of skill and add so many details. You're doing a great job with this one Gaz.

I find that most of the guys who go in for heavy weathering are just in it to show off their weathering--rather than building-- skills.

There is nothing wrong with the level you have on your build; dust tends to get blown off so all you really have is the stubborn deposits in the cracks and crevices. The guys who go nuts with rust and chipping would be better off doing a Truk Lagoon diorama than anything realistic.

I build to replicate the real thing as best I can; not to impress a bunch of other blowhards who think they are "artists".

I find that most of the guys who go in for heavy weathering are just in it to show off their weathering--rather than building-- skills.

There is nothing wrong with the level you have on your build; dust tends to get blown off so all you really have is the stubborn deposits in the cracks and crevices. The guys who go nuts with rust and chipping would be better off doing a Truk Lagoon diorama than anything realistic.

I build to replicate the real thing as best I can; not to impress a bunch of other blowhards who think they are "artists".

Man o man! I can think of a few individuals who like that who think they're "all that and a bag of party mix" that diss other modelers work publicly and it's really too bad. Couldn't have worded that any better myself.

Don't get me wrong; I greatly appreciate talent. Maybe it has something to do with building airplanes taking a more realistic approach to modeling our subjects, but I feel most everyone here is a modeler first and might consider themselves artists second at best. Some of the other genres of kits allow a more interpretive method of painting and weathering, where one is more comfortable to try schemes that likely never existed. I mean, anything you paint on a dinosaur model is pure conjecture, right? We have no real life examples so now we base their appearance on our expectation of similar living species. You can paint a model car any way you like, as you can do that in real life.

But while one might smile at the notion of painting a B-52 in the polka-dot assembly ship pattern Shep Paine demonstrated in the pamphlet that came with the Monogram B-24 kit, I'm pretty sure that never happened. Same with those Tiger tanks that are so rusty and chipped they look like they fell in a saltwater tank, got fished out, and were dried by firing rust flakes at them with a high-pressure hose. They pull Stugs out of bogs that are in better shape. And don't even get me started on modulation. I know many people dig it, but I don't quite understand the point of simulating light fall from a particular direction, unless you are sure you can align the model with the room lighting. I understand it is to create contrast and make an otherwise monotone paint job more interesting, but at heart it is about the illusion of light catching various points on the model and using different shades of base coat to create light/shadow points where you want them--rather than where natural falling light would place them. Maybe I just have a sensitivity to types of lighting. One of my biggest peeves still with CGI is how they still haven't quite gotten to the point where light hitting CGI characters matches the living actors. This is sorely obvious to me in the Marvel and DC films, as well as Star Wars. When I see the Hulk, for example, all I see is a big chunk of pixels that was plainly inserted into the footage. It's like watching modern day versions of old B-movies where the giant spider is horribly spliced into the scene with the stock footage of screaming city people, only not as entertaining to me. Okay, so I went from a rant on going too far with technique to one about bad CGI. It happens. But then I am the kid who stood up at the end of "E.T." and proclaimed loudly to my dad and brother, "Why is everyone crying? It was just a puppet."

Thanks for your replies. I'm still so far behind many modellers that I feel I'm still learning everything. My take on color modulation is just about the way panels might look different after age. Unlike a beautiful, shiny car, I reckon that most vehicles got very little unnecessary love. That doesn't mean they rusted. I hate rust on military gear. It's just not allowed to happen.

A bit of streaking here and there, a bit of fade, some scuff marks... or a high traffic area where the paint is worn completely off, but not rusted. Except for exhausts, I don't put rust on vehicles. I'm still hoping to make a realistic oil stain someday. Then there is dust and mud.

BTW I have to redo the dust. My clear-coat dissolved some of the pigments, vastly reducing coverage. I used Future and glass cleaner to protect it, and I think perhaps being water based, it just made the chalk dissolve in places where it wasn't so concentrated.

That is one fine looking Panzer III you have there Gaz. I like how your finish is coming together and I'm interested to see just where you will take this once all the final bits are on. I like the Panzer III and think your are headed towards a stellar build. All I can say is more, please Are you going to add a base? Figures? Thanks for sharing.

I wasn't going to say anything but I couldn't let this slide.

CATCplSlade - Just a gentle bit of advice. Going on about how you personally don't like certain types of finishing is, reductive, and juvenile. To not like something is quite acceptable, but to denigrate something simply because you don't like it is not. Build what you like, how you like but don't throw stones. If you are going to voice your opinion then for politeness sake it would be appreciated if you choose your words more carefully as you might be causing offence unnecessarily. I offer this advice as a blowhard artist who also likes to think that I build models too.

Dan

Rick Griewski, harvey and CANicoll like this

These thoughts courtesy of a madman found chained to his workbench hidden deep within his subterranean Factory of Devious Inventions.